Drifting device



J. E. MOURNE.

DRIFTING DEVICE. APPLICATION r1150 APR-16. 1920.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922'.

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JO/f/VZTMWF/l/[SW as, HIS fmm J. E. MOURNE.

DRIFTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1e, I920.

v1 ,41 1,803 Patented Apr. 4, 1922,

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JOHN E. MOURNE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUPERHEATER COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DRIFTING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

To all ie/1.0m it may concern Be it known that 1. JOHN E. Monmxn. a citizen of the United. States, residing at Denver. in the county of Denver and State of Colorado. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drifting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to locomotives and is concerned particularly with, devices to be used at times when the locomotive is drifting, i. c., is in motion with the main throttle closed.

It is well understood by persons familiar with the operation of locomotives that at the time spoken of the motion of the piston in the cylinder creates a partial vacuum in the latter, with the result that air and cin dcrs will. be drawn through the exhaust nozzle into the valve chest and into the cylinder, unless proper precautions are taken to prevent this. A large number of mechanisms have been proposed for the purpose of keeping air and cinders from entering the exhaust nozzle, but none of them, to my knowledge, effect this in as satisfactory a manner and with as simple means as I do in my present invention.

The purpose of my invention can be stated as being the provision of a simple, reliable and inexpensive device for use in locomotives during drifting periods to exclude air, cinders, etc., from entering the exhaust nozzle.

My invention is described. in the following specification, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the latter, F ig. 1 illustrates a locomotive with my appliance, the view being a side clevation, partly in section and with portions of the locomotive omitted. Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of a locomotive with my inventionin place; Fi 3 is a view of a part of Fig. 1 showing my mechanism in a different position; while Fig. i is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 1.

The main features of the locomotive are not modified in my invention, but may be of any standard or desired type.

In the drawings, the boiler body of the locomotive is given the reference numeral 1; designates generally the smoke box in advance of the body of the boiler; 3 is the flue sheet separating the two; at are fines extending backward from the flue sheet 3 to the firebox (not shown). The Smokestack 5 is separated from the. main portion of the smoke box by the diaphragm 6, table plate 7 and deflector plate 8. The diaphragm (5 and the portion of the table plate extending from its lower end to the tube sheet together form a partition separating the lines from the stack. The deflector platehas the usual wire netting, as will be understood. In the steam dome 9 is located the throttle 10, from which steam is carried by means of the dry pipe 11 to the superheater header l2. From this header the steam is delivered to the super-- heater units or elements 13, which are,.as usual, located in the fines 41. The steam, after being superheated in these elements, is by them returned to the header 12, whence it reaches the steam chests 1 1-1 1 by means of the steam pipes l5-15. The products of combustion flowing through the fines at reach the smoke box 2, but before passing under table plate 7 and through deflector plate 8 must pass through the damper-controlled opening 16. The damper 1'7, controlling this opening, is keyed. in the usual manner to shaft 18 and is operated by a piston reciprocating in the cylinder 19. The reciprocation of this piston operates the lever 20, which is connected by means of the link21 to the weight arm 22. 23 is a weight acting in opposition to the piston in cylinder 19. Pressure to operate the piston is admitted to the cylinder by means of the pipe which connects to one of the steam pipes 15. It will be unnecessary to describe this mechanism in any greater detail, as it is in operation in a very great number of locomotives and is practically standard and well-known. The operation of the locomotive parts so far described is also as usual. When the engineer opens the throttle 10, and therefore admits steam to the steam chests l i through steam pipe 15 the pressure in that pipe 15 at which pipe 24: is connected raises the piston in cylinder 19 and therefore the weight 23, thereby opening the damper 17. Products of combustion are then free to reach the stack by passing through opening 16 under table plate 7 and through deflector plate 8. Then the throttle 10 is closed the pressure in steam pipe 15 drops and weight 23 closes damper 17. The flow of the products of combustion through the fines 4: is thereby interrupted and injury of the superheater units or elements through which no steam is then flowing is consequently prevented.

My invention, applied to such a standard construction, will now be described. The exhaust nozzle tip 25 has secured to it by means of bolts 26 or in some other manner the casting 27. This casting forms a sort of a cap over the tip, enclosing it. Its upper end is normally open and allows tree access to the.

nozzle tip for adjustment, etc, but may be closed by means of the cover or valve 28. This cover 28 is carried by the U-shaped arm 29 which is pivotally' mounted at 30-30, and keyed to the shaft 31. This shaft passes through the smoke box wall at 32, and its outer end has keyed to it the arm A link 34 connects this arm 33 operativcly with the arm 35, which in turn is keyed to the damper shaft 18. The relative position of the parts is such that when the damper is open the cover 28 is likewise open, and when the former is closed the latter is also closed.

A relatively small pipe 36, provided with a check-valve 37 opening in the direction away from casting 27, leads from the interior of casting 27 to any desired point of discharge.

It will be noted, particularly from the enlarged view of Fig. 4, that the shaft 31 is not quite in line with the axis of the exhaust nozzle and the casting 27, but is slightly 0H set toward the left. This is done to ensure a tight closure between the cover 28 and its seat, and to prevent any binding when the openin movement begins.

My evice operates as follows. \Vhen the throttle is open, the damper shaft 18, 0perated in the usual manner by the pistonin cylinder 19, assumes the position to carry arm 35 and the connected parts, including cover 28, into the position shown in Fig. 1. The exhaust leaving the exhaust nozzle reaches the stack 5 without obstruction,

When now the throttle is closed, and the damper weight 23 dro s, putting damper 17 into the position of Fig. 3, cover 28 and the connected parts are given the position of Fig. 3. The partial vacuum occurring in the main cylinders and in the valve chests, and tending to draw smoke box gases and cinders in through the nozzle, cannot now have this undesirable result.

If from any cause pressure tends to build up in the exhaust nozzle and the casting 27, it will be relieved through pipe 36, check valve 37 preventing any ingress of air or gases through this pipe.

Manifestly the particular form I give to the mechanism closing the exhaust nozzle need not be the exact one I have used in illustrating my invention in the above. The form shown and described is not to be considered as by way of limitation, as it may be varied in many particulars.

. 1. In a locomotive having a smoke box, a plurality of fines opening into the smoke box, a stack, a-n'exhaust nozzle, a partition separating the fines from the stack, and a damper in the partition; the combination of mechanism to operate the damper, a closure for the exhaust nozzle, and means to operate the closure in unison with the damper.

2. In a locomotive having a steam pipe, a smoke box, a plurality of flues opening into the smoke box, a. stack, an exhaust nozzle, a partition separating the fines from the stack, and a damper in the partition; the combination of steam actuated means 'operatively connected with the damper, a pipe connect ing said means with the steam pipe, a closure for the exhaust nozzle, and means operatively connecting the closure with the damper-operating means so that the damper and exhaust nozzle open and close in unison.

3. In a locomotive having a steam pipe, a smoke box, a plurality of flues opening into the smoke box, a stack, an exhaust nozzle, a partition separating the fines from the stack, and a damper in the partition; the combination of steam actuated means operatively connected with the damper, a pipe connecting said means with the steam pipe, the means operating to open the damper when there is steam in the steam pipe, a closure for the exhaust nozzle, and means operatively connecting the closure with the damper-operating means so that the damper and the exhaust nozzle open and close in unison.

J. n- Mounun. 

